D.C. Defenders linebacker #57 Anthony Hines III greets linebacker #43 Francis Bernard LB on completion of a play, Lumen Field, Seattle, April 9, 2023. (Twitter)
The D.C. Defenders became the second team to clinch a berth in the 2023 XFL playoffs with their 34-33 win over the Seattle Sea Dragons on Sunday. With two weeks left in the season and the best record in the league at 7-1, D.C. will play for the top seed in the XFL North, which gets to host the divisional championship. This objective requires only one win against Arlington or San Antonio, who have both struggled.
The D.C. Defenders have secured a spot in the North Division Championship game with their 34-33 victory over the Seattle Sea Dragons.
The North Division Championship will be played on Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
— XFL Communications Department (@XFL_PR) April 10, 2023
It took the Defenders time to get where they are now, and they still have work to do if they want to be champions, but what they’ve done so far has been merely incredible. They opened the season dead last in betting odds to win the whole thing at 13/2. Ironically, the Battlehawks and Sea Dragons, both teams D.C. swept this season, were championship favorites.
Guys like Abram Smith and Michael Joseph have been constant standouts for the Defenders throughout the season. But the emergence of stars like Chris Blair in the second half of the season has only elevated D.C offensively. Jordan Ta’amu, who many fans benched at the beginning of the season after a rocky start, has stepped up and made his mark as a top-tier quarterback in the XFL.
Early struggles
D.C. generated a minutest 177 yards against Seattle in its season-opener. Not even the ground game could get going, with Abram Smith averaging only 2.5 yards on 11 carries. On the contrary, the Sea Dragons, led by quarterback Ben DiNucci, totaled 331 yards and led for most of the game. However, three turnovers, all from DiNucci, including two interceptions thrown – one of which was a costly pick-six, and a goal-line fumble on what would’ve been a game-winning drive with seconds left in the game proved costly, and the Defenders somehow escaped with a win.
The Defenders’ offensive struggles continued in Las Vegas during week two, where they found themselves trailing the Vipers 6-0 at halftime. But then, a spark. In rainy conditions, D.C. turned to a heavy smashmouth approach with backup quarterback D’Eriq King and Abram Smith featured in an option game that threw off the Vipers’ defense. D.C. scored 18 unanswered points en route to its week two victory over Vegas, but there were still questions regarding the Defenders’ passing attack, with Ta’amu throwing for just 109 yards and completing less than 50% of his passes for the second-straight week.
Early signs of a turnaround
In a week three clash between two undefeated squads, D.C. defeated the Battlehawks 34-28 in an offensive performance finally worth watching for Defenders fans. Nevertheless, three turnovers on fumbles and 28 points allowed were a bit concerning. But the success continued into week four, where they beat the Vipers 32-18 for the season sweep in a heavily refined product from their previous meeting.
Next, Abram Smith had a night to remember in the highly anticipated week five rematch between D.C. and St. Louis at the Battledome. The first pick in the XFL Draft exploited the Battlehawks, who were clearly defending against the pass after being picked apart in their prior meeting. Smith singlehandedly sent home the 35,868 in attendance on a losing note, running for 218 yards and three touchdowns.
The Defenders have come a long way since the beginning of the season, and their wins over Houston and Seattle (again) in the ladder stages of the season demonstrate this. In the past three games, Ta’amu has thrown for 777 yards – already more than his total of 658 during the first half of the season. His main targets, Chris Blair and Lucky Jackson are third and fourth league-wide in receiving yards, respectively. Blair has racked up more receiving yards in the past two weeks alone than in the first five games with 148 and 139-yard performances. He averages 21.4 yards per catch, while Lucky Jackson averages 15.5 on 29 catches. The Defenders have averaged 35.6 points and 389 yards over their last three games, far more than any team, but issues remain on the other side of the ball.
Poor defense was a factor in D.C.’s first loss of the season to the Guardians in week six and has been a problem as of late. Davin Bellamy and Joe Wallace have been excellent on the defensive line for the Defenders, but it seems opposing teams have figured out how to counter Gregg Williams’ aggressive playcalling.
Regardless of the bounce-back win last week, it’s clear defensive adjustments are still necessary for the Defenders, who have averaged 32 points allowed in their past three contests. With little at stake, their next two matchups will serve as testing grounds for what works defensively in preparation for playoffs.
Key contributors
All-around strong efforts have contributed to offensive success for the Defenders, whether from starting quarterback Jordan Ta’amu or his backup, D’Eriq King. Both have also contributed to D.C.’s league-leading rushing attack, headlined by Abram Smith and Ryquell Armstead. On the season, Smith has run for 720 yards. Meanwhile, Ta’amu leads among XFL quarterbacks in rushing yards with 239. King, used a lot in the redzone, is tied for second in rushing touchdowns with five.
Along with Chris Blair and Lucky Jackson, Josh Hammond has been a top target for Ta’amu, with 42 on the season.
Michael Joseph had two picks in the opener versus Seattle and has been a problem for opposing teams since. Teammates DeJuan Neal and Santos Ramirez have also played key roles on the D.C. secondary. Neal leads the Defenders in tackles with 39, while Ramirez has 31. Ramirez has two interceptions this season, including one returned for a score against Houston.
Not far behind Neal, linebacker Reggie Northrup has 37 tackles this season, including two for a loss. Signal-caller Francis Bernard, who’s only played in six games due to suspension, has 33 tackles, with four being for a loss.
Davin Bellamy has been a monster off the edge, with six tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks on the season. Fadol Brown has five tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in just five games played. Joe Wallace also has five tackles for a loss and had an interception off a pass deflected at the line last week against Seattle.
The Defenders offensive line, made up of left tackle Kyle Murphy, left guard Liam Ryan, center Ty Clary, right guard Liam Fornadel, and right tackle D’Marcus Hayes has conceded the least amount of sacks this season (9). Before his injury, during week six, center Mike Maietti was the highest-graded Defenders player on offense, with an 85.7 PFF rating.
Final thoughts
The D.C. offense is dangerous and could do even more damage with complimentary defense. Their upcoming matchup against the Renegades serves as a test, with Arlington’s stifling defense and a new-look offense under Luis Perez, which showed flashes last week.
The Defenders will face either the Battlehawks or Sea Dragons in the semifinals.
